


It's harder than it looks

by ThingsthatrhymewithTea



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Drabble Collection, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-05
Updated: 2018-12-05
Packaged: 2019-09-11 22:23:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16861303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThingsthatrhymewithTea/pseuds/ThingsthatrhymewithTea
Summary: A series of moments in time between Kira and Bucky, and often everyone else in the damn tower who don't know what personal space looks like.I have no Beta reader, and only a handful of planned scenes. Let me know if there's anything you're hoping to see!





	It's harder than it looks

It's only after that first kiss that Bucky begins to notice something strange. In fact, he's quickly surprised he hadn't noticed sooner, except that he's been distracted by trying to get Kira's attention any time he's within her orbit. 

The first time he sees it happen, he and Kira are in the Avenger's common kitchen making breakfast. It's only been a few days since they established their new and extremely slow-moving relationship status, but they seem to both be early risers and enjoy sharing a meal before everyone else (besides Steve) was up and making trouble. Steve would never NOT be trouble. Steve was also a jerk who waited for Bucky to make coffee before grabbing a cup, smirking like he was clever. Or like Bucky didn't know his visits were timed precisely to watch the new couple like an old disapproving mother-in-law.

This morning Kira had asked Orion to “take Steve on a walk” which granted the pair some peace for a while to canoodle in the kitchen before getting a moving on to their new mealtime habit. Bucky's making coffee while Kira pulls down an entire loaf to toast and butter, by the looks of the two sticks coming along for the ride. He looks at Kira with a curious tilt to his head, but she just smiles back.  
“Clint and Natasha came back late last night. Natasha likes toast when she hasn't had much sleep. She mentioned once that it helped settle her stomach.”

Bucky lets it go, but watches with interest as about three-fourths of the loaf later Natasha silently enters the kitchen and slides up behind Kira looking bleary and a little over tired. Natasha reaches out and almost manages to grab a slice of toast just as it's popped up with a perfect tanned color before it happens.

Kira, without showing any outward sign of being surprised by the sudden appearance of a hand beside her, gently grabs Natasha's misplaced limb by the heel of her palm and thumb, and gently redirects it further right to a pile of buttered and stacked slices. Even more shocking than the redirection is that Natasha allows it. She walks off with most of the pile. Bucky stares as no one acts like something abnormal just happened. 

He wisely keeps his concern to himself that morning.

~

The next time he sees it happen is about a week later. 

The previous night Bucky had gone to her apartment and they had relaxed together as she spent time caring for a miserable looking Orion. The poor dog had gone out with Clint and Lucky and had eaten pizza until he had gotten one aggressive stomach ache. Bucky was relived when he came back the next morning to see the dog was feeling significantly better, but Kira still wasn't pleased by the whole affair. She left Orion with a bowl of water and sweet promises to be back before they would head to the workshop together.

She's still looking distant when they arrived in the kitchen to set up coffee. Steve arrives only a moment later, like usual, and hesitates as Kira lines up five mugs in a row with a clear plan of action. Steve's sharp eyes glance around as he waits to see what was going on.  
“Kira, where's Orion? It's uncommon to see one of you without the other.”

Kira shakes her head, hands still moving.  
“He's wasn't feeling well last night. I'll head back to grab him after breakfast, but the poor thing is taking it light today.”

The men watch Kira as she deliberately filled all five mugs with coffee, and then dumps a disturbing amount of salt into the fourth mug. Steve and Bucky catch on immediately and grab un-impacted cups. The super-soldiers didn't need to be told what's going down- this prank is older than they are, and they back up into the living room to get good seats to watch. 

Natasha was the next one to show, and again was stopped from grabbed the wrong thing. This time a quick but light slap bats Natasha's hand away from the dangers of mug number four, and closer to the safety of mug number three. Natasha's eyes flick up to Kira's tightened mouth only a moment before allowing the act. She carries the offered cup to the nearby kitchen table and waits. Kira loiters a few seconds longer before Clint swaggers into the room, then gently absconds with the remaining safe drink. Clint's eyes light up and he grabs the only mug left, following the women who were already seated at the table.

There's a beat of calm as the two women sip their coffee mildly. Kira speaks first, timing her words with Clint's hand lifting his cup.

“You wouldn't believe, Natasha, what a rough night I had.”

Natasha raises an eyebrow. “Is that so?”

Clint is mid-way through chugging a mouthful when his face pinches tightly. He tips the entire system of mug, face, and fluid back down until most of the coffee is back where it started. Kira takes this as her cue to continue.

“Mmm, yeah. Poor Orion. The pup got sick from eating too much junk food last night. I've been nursing him on and off since. It's really important to care for others who don't know better then to just consume what's in front of them, you know? The level of trust that is shared by the one creating the meal, and the one receiving it. I just hope it won't happen again.”

Natasha hums in response, eyeing a slightly paler Clint.

“I'm sure it won't happen again.”

Clint has the decency to look guilty, but no more words are exchanged as Kira stands up, takes Clint's mug to the sink, dumps out the liquid, gives the cup a quick rinse, then refills it and returns it back to it's original place in front of Clint. 

The rest of breakfast goes smoothly. Bucky finds out later that Kira and Clint had a serious conversation about Orion's diet later that evening, but only because he walks in on them working it out while creating and modifying some of Clint's newest arrowheads. It occurs to him how weirdly low drama she is compared to everyone else. It brings a slow smile to his face as he backs out of the office area unnoticed.

~

The third time isn't as quick. It comes a few months later after a long and harrowing mission that ends up with everyone coming out worse for it. Clint is in Medical again. Steve is back in the planning room talking with Sam and Coulson about what went wrong with their intel. Thor is unharmed but staying close to Jane's side as she works with a single-mindedness that never leaves. Tony is drinking and mapping out more upgrades to his suit and everyone else's armor, with the music turned down from its usual blast. Bruce is napping on the couch in Tony's lab, covered by a colorful throw blanket Darcy must have smuggled in at some point, wearing earplugs (because let's be real, even turned down, the music isn't soft by anyone's standards.) Everyone else has gravitated towards what makes them unclench after a close call or three, so it makes perfect sense for Bucky to ride the elevator down to Kira's floor, find her apartment, and knock on the door. Even if it is something like 3am on a Saturday.

“Sir.” 

Bucky looks up. It's a weird habit he's developed whenever he hears Jarvis speak. He's going to have to train himself out of that. 

“Ms. Kira would like me to open the door for you, as she is unable to greet you at the moment, and requests that you enter quietly.”

What the hell does that mean?

Bucky isn't an asshole though, so when the door pops open noiselessly, he walks in just as quiet to a surprising scene.

Kira has obviously moved her couch and chairs around in her living room, because normally her couch faces the TV, which would leave her back to the door. At this point, her couch is backed up against the wall next to the TV, facing the door. Kira waves him in with one hand and makes the 'shh' hand gesture with the other.

Laying across the couch is both Natasha and Orion, the former with one arm bandaged and her head in Kira's lap, and the latter snuggled up as little spoon to Natasha so that the redhead is tucked up against the back cushions.

“I'm getting the impression you guys had a bad day.” Kira whispers, slowly running her fingers through the sleeping woman's hair. Kira looks tired too, with her functional black pajamas and the very start of dark smudges below her eyes.

Bucky points to Natasha's resting form and cocks his head to the side.

Kira shrugs. “It started by me hanging out with Clint, then it seems I got adopted by Nat, and now I guess I'm a safe space when one of these two are not available. I assume he made her promise to leave the Med area and get some sleep, but it's hard to sleep after stuff goes bad, right?”

Bucky nods, letting go of the bizarre sibling-like relationship the two assassins have with Kira. He knows damn well that the puppy-eyed looks works ironically well on her (given that with Orion's abuse of the expression, she should have been LONG desensitized to it) and it's only seconds before she gives a long sigh of defeat. Kira gently touches Natasha's shoulder and gives the smallest nudge before the assassin's eyes snap open.

“Sweetheart, Buck's here. Let's all shift to the bedroom. The walls are thick, and it'll be safe with all of us in one place.”

There's no nod or spoken word, but all four members shift to Kira's suspiciously new and sturdy looking bed to lay down. Bucky makes a mental note to ask her about the new furniture, but now is really not the time. 

Natasha and Orion resume their door-facing snuggle guard, while Kira and Bucky cuddle up on the side further from the door. Bucky lays awake, wondering how his girl got so mixed up with everyone else, wondering how the mission got so damn messed up, wondering how the fuck he's going to sleep without having some really fucked up nightmares, and eventually is the only one awake when dawn comes.


End file.
